Personal Area Networks (PANs), typically, are networks that interconnect devices over short distances. An increasingly popular form of PANs is the Wireless PAN or WPAN, which may encompass technologies like Bluetooth and IEEE 802.15.4. These technologies may be used to wirelessly interconnect electronic devices separated by short distances or ranges. For example, a wireless headset may be connected to a cellular phone using WPAN technology.
A recent trend in the field of WPANs is the increasing use of its technology towards deployment of products used for networked sensing, monitoring, and controlling applications. IEEE 802.15.4 has been the preferred WPAN technology for such applications due to its low power and low cost proposition. IEEE 802.15.4 typically transfers a few bytes of sensor readings between devices using very low bandwidth, and low power. The low power proposition gives IEEE 802.15.4 an advantage over other wireless technologies, such as Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi). Further, IEEE 802.15.4 also extends the physical range of connectivity as multiple devices interconnect in an ad-hoc fashion to form a self-configuring hopping-based network. Furthermore, IEEE 802.15.4 uses a free 2.4 GHz band and the IEEE-defined 802.15.4 standard, and, unlike many wireless licensed technologies, IEEE 802.15.4 is an open standard.
In homes, IEEE 802.15.4 technology may be extended to electronic devices, such as those developed for lighting, heating, ventilating, air conditioning and even security applications. Interconnecting electronic devices using IEEE 802.15.4 technology precludes the cost of laying expensive cable, and, enables remote controlling of multiple systems while providing flexibility in managing these electronic devices.
While the low power proposition of IEEE 802.15.4 is its biggest advantage, IEEE 802.15.4 severely limits the range of controlling these devices, and, as such the IEEE 802.15.4 equipped devices cannot be accessed in a universal manner. There is a need for universally accessing the IEEE 802.15.4 equipped devices and in order to control such devices from remote locations. Solutions in the art have proposed connecting a IEEE 802.15.4 cluster to an Internet Protocol (IP) based network, such as a Wi-FI network, by using a bridge. However, bridges are inefficient, cumbersome and difficult to maintain. Moreover, setting up of bridges interconnecting a IEEE 802.15.4 cluster to the Wi-Fi network can be fairly complex.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for providing access to electronic devices interconnected using a WPAN technology, such as IEEE 802.15.4, to a Wi-Fi network to enable universal access to these electronic devices. Further, there is a need for providing access to electronic devices in a PAN to a Wi-Fi network in a cost-effective manner. Furthermore, there is a need for providing access to electronic devices in a PAN to a Wi-Fi network precluding complexity in setting up and managing the interconnection between the PAN network and the Wi-Fi network.